DOCSLIB.ORG

Operation Update Report Pakistan: Severe Winter

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Operation Update Report Pakistan: Severe Winter Operation Update Report Pakistan: Severe Winter DREF n° MDRPK018 GLIDE n° CW-2020-000027-PAK Operation update n° 1: 13 May 2020 Timeframe covered by this update: 5 February - 20 April 2020 Operation start date: 5 February 2020 Operation timeframe: 6 months; End date: 31 July 2020 (revised) Funding requirements: CHF 315,292 N° of people being assisted: 7,096 people (1,000 households) Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners currently actively involved in the operation: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are actively involved in supporting the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) response for severe snowfall in Pakistan Administered Kashmir and Baluchistan. Other partner organizations actively involved in the operation: State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and District Disaster Management Unit (DDMU) are actively responding to the disaster. They have established field offices to coordinate response efforts on ground. SDMA has deployed ambulances, rescue vehicles and rescuers in the affected areas for clearing snow, restoration of roads, infrastructure and medical assistance to the injured. Summary of major revisions made to emergency plan of action: This operation update informs on the extension of the implementation timeframe for two months form 31 May until 31 July 2020, mainly due to the current COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown in the country. This will enable completion of activities such as below: • Distribution of non-food items (NFIs) to 150 Households (HH) in Neelum District; • Cash disbursement to 1,000 families in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Baluchistan; • Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM); • Lessons learnt workshop. Other circumstances contributing to the delay include change in PRCS management, continuous rain and snow in the affected areas and cross border firing in Neelum District. Note: This update has been republished again on 13 May with some additional information on operation risk assessment in relation to the COVID-19 impact on the operational context. A. SITUATION ANALYSIS Description of the disaster From 11 to 13 January 2020, several parts of Pakistan were hit by heavy rains and snow fall which resulted in flash floods, avalanches and landslides. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) sitrep published on 23 January 20201, at least 107 people have died due to the severe weather conditions. Among them, 21 belonged to Baluchistan, five from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), two from Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and 79 were confirmed in AJK. The Baluchistan provincial government declared a state of emergency in 11 districts and requested NDMA to allow humanitarian organizations to support the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to reach out to the people in need. AJK government also declared Neelum, Leepa Valley and Bhadi as disaster hit areas,nominating a Relief Commissioner to manage the relief activities in these areas. 1 http://www.ndma.gov.pk/sitreppia/january/Situationreport9dated23Jan2020.pdf Table 1: Summary of the damages and losses (Source: NDMA Sitrep – 23 January 2020) Houses damaged Provinces Deaths Injury Others Fully Partially One mosque, 22 shops, 7 vehicles Light Transport AJK 79 63 91 202 Vehicle (LTV), 3 Motorcycles damaged. In upper Neelum (Lawat to Tao Butt) Leepa roads blocked. One bridge collapsed, one Mosque completely Baluchistan 21 24 148 1,062 collapsed, 9 Light Transport Vehicles (LTV), 3 motorcycles damaged and 29 livestock perished. KP 5 13 31 33 100 years record snow in some areas (Media and GB 2 4 3 3 GBDMA) TOTAL 107 104 273 1,300 BBC news reported that the snowfall had been historical for both Kashmir and Baluchistan. Quetta, Areas of Ziarat, Harnoi, Kan Mehtarzai, Muslim Bagh, Khanozai and Khojak Pass were blanketed in snow. Due to heavy snow fall the highways between Quetta-Sibi, Quetta-Karachi and Quetta-Zhob were also blocked. Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that around 1 million people have been affected by the cold wave (around 140,000 families)2. In Kharan, Panjgoor and Gwadar districts, heavy rains had been reported which resulted in flash-flooding in different area of mentioned district. In total, 56mm rainfall was recorded in Turbat, 40mm in Pasni and 26mm in Pishin. In Kashmir, the worst affected district is Neelum (Extreme North District of AJK) due to heavy snowfall, rain and avalanche created havoc, where 79 people died, and more than 91 houses completely destroyed. The total population affected by the avalanches in Neelum District is 910 households (6,370 people), with another 3,134 households (21,938 people) indirectly affected by the heavy snow. Astor Valley received a record-breaking snow in some areas breaking 100 years record (Media and Gilgit Baltistan Disaster Management Authority - GBDMA). It was reported that two people had died due to avalanche while four injured. The heavy snow paralyzed life in the region, with residents in northern valleys restricted to their homes. Gilgit Baltistan authorities mobilized all their resources to open the blocked roads and to assist the people in need. As a result of the heavy rain and snowfall on the upper reaches of Neelam and Leepa and some top mountainous parts of AJK was disconnected from rest of the country through land routes. The roads and telecommunication networks were badly affected in AJK, Baluchistan, KP and GB and adjoining areas because of downpour in plains and snowfall on mountains. All these not only have caused deaths but also halted the lives of thousands of local people. Furthermore, since local people in this region make their living through daily wage jobs, livestock rearing, farming, or small local businesses, blockage of pathways and roads directly affect their livelihoods. The extreme cold weather conditions (up to minus 16°C) also restricted them to their houses. Summary of current response Overview of Host National Society PRCS with more than 150 staff at NHQ level, seven at provincial, state and GB branches and more than 70 district branches with 50 active volunteers in each district Branches have the capacity to respond to any emergency situation in the country. PRCS deployed Practical Emergency Cash Transfer (PECT), Rapid Response personnel, NDRTs and Branch Disaster Response Teams (BDRTs) in the target areas for the registration of effected community members. PRCS- National Head Quarter (NHQ) is in continuous coordination with PRCS field teams at Provincial Head Quarters (PHQ) and district level, and external stakeholders including Red Cross Red Crescent partners and NDMA. The National Disaster Response Teams (NDRTs) receive initial assessment reports and information from affected districts through dedicated staff and volunteers delivering First Aid (FA) on the spot. The National Society had dispatched alert messages to its NDRT members while staff and volunteers have been placed on standby for deployment. PRCS Provincial, State and GB branches have mobilized FA teams from adjoining districts to provide first aid response to the injured. Initially roads were blocked in Neelum Valley AJK which opened later by the district administration and now these areas are fully accessible. 2 OCHA sitrep no. 5 – 24 Jan 2020 Table 2: Summary of response actions by PRCS (as of 20 April 2020) Area Date Response GB, 13-22 • First Aid response. January • Rapid need assessment completed by deploying staff and volunteers. NHQ, PHQ and NDRTs are on high alert. • 96 tents, 312 tarpaulin sheets, 312 water canes and 425 blankets have been distributed in district Gilgit, Astore and Skardu. AJK 13-22 • First Aid response. January • Rapid need assessment completed by deploying staff and volunteers. • Essential medicines have been sent to Neelum District. Baluchistan 13- 22 • First Aid response. January • Rapid need assessment completed by deploying staff and volunteer. • 700 food packs (35kg), 700 blankets, 700 jackets, 300 kitchen sets, 300 hygiene kits have been distributed in districts of Killa Saifullah, Killa Abdullah, Pishin, and Mastung. Baluchistan 22-29 • Orientation of staff and volunteers on data collection tools and Red Rose. February • Registration of beneficiaries through Red-Rose. AJK 22-29 • Orientation of staff and volunteers on data collection tools and Red Rose. February • Registration of beneficiaries through Red-Rose. Baluchistan 2-6 March • Analysis and finalization of beneficiary list. + AJK • Re-verification of beneficiaries. • Coordination with Financial Service Provider (FSP). Overview of Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in country The ICRC supported the deployment of PRCS FA teams, replenishment of FA kits, Restoring Family Links (RFL) and public communication. The IFRC Country Office (CO) and Asia Pacific Regional Office (APRO) are providing technical support to the National Society, while Partner National Societies (PNS) in country (e.g. German Red Cross, Norwegian Red Cross and Turkish Red Crescent) can provide additional bilateral support to PRCS if there are any gaps to fill in the response. Overview of non-RCRC actors in country High alerts were issued by SDMAs to local officials and rescue teams where up to four feet of snowfall hads been reported. Also, immediate rescue operations had been launched by SDMA, PDMA, GBDMA District Administrations and Pakistan Army in the disaster hit areas for prompt action. Also, a Special Emergency Desk has been
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Environmental Report 49 Mw Luat Hydro Power Project
    ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT 49 MW LUAT HYDRO POWER PROJECT Submitted To: Environmental Protection Agency Azad Jammu & Kashmir Submitted By: Neelum Green Energy (Pvt.) Ltd. Office # 7, MB City Mall, I‐8 Markaz, Islamabad +92 51 4861790 Consultant: Nasir Absar Consulting (Pvt.) Ltd. Office # 1, Second Floor, VIP Square I‐8 Markaz, Islamabad +92 51 4861323 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 INTRODUCTION The proposed 49 MW Luat Hydropower Project “the Project” is identified in the lower 6-7 km stretch of Chutiari nullah, near Luat village, District Neelum, in the Azad State of Jammu and Kashmir. Chutiari nullah is a right bank tributary of Neelum River in the tehsils Athmuqam, Neelum district with its confluence about 95 km north-west of Muzaffarabad city. The Project layout has been planned on the right bank of Chutiari nullah with diversion weir intake, connecting channel, sandtrap, low pressure headrace tunnel, surge shaft, pressure shaft, pressure tunnel, underground powerhouse and a free flow tailrace tunnel to discharge the outflows back into the Nullah. An access tunnel is provided for handling of plant and equipment transportation to the powerhouse, the access tunnel is just over the tailrace tunnel. This site was first identified by a French Firm (CFG) in 1986. During the preliminary site identification studies the estimated installed capacity of the Project was estimated to be 25 MW. In November 2008, Hydro Electric Board (HEB) of the Azad State of Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) signed a Consultancy Agreement with M/s Fida Hussain Chaudhary - FHC Consulting Engineers, Lahore, in association with M/s Scott Wilson Limited of United Kingdom and M/s Electra Consultants, Peshawar for preparation of feasibility study reports.
    [Show full text]
  • In Neelum Valley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir
    Pakistan J. Zool., vol. 44(1), pp. 233-239, 2012. Distribution, Population Status and Habitat Utilization of Common Otter (Lutra lutra) in Neelum Valley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Muhammad Bashir Khan, Khawaja Basharat Ahmed, Muhammad Siddique Awan, Usman Ali, Riaz Aziz Minhas* and Shahid Ashraf Choudary Department of Zoology, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad Abstract.- Neelum Valley comprises of fascinating wildlife, yet it is not explored due to multiple factors including inaccessibility, no appropriate means of transportation and communication and cross border firing between Pakistan and Indian armed forces. Common otter (Lutra lutra) listed as near threatened by IUCN in the Red List of 2008, has been extinct in much of its range with many populations still thinning and is firmly protected by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Wild Life Act. The present study aimed to find out the distribution, habitat utilization and population status of common otter in Neelum Valley. Study area was divided into zones and localities and eight months surveys of each locality were conducted from December, 2004 to July, 2005. The important vegetation of the area was Rumex histatus, Adhatoda zeyloanica, Cynoglossum lanceolatum, Salix sp, Pinus sp, Cedrus deodara and Celtis eriocarpa. Common otter was found to adapt to rocky area with cave type places, sands and pebbles. Average population was measured by the indirect method of sampling. The animal was distributed in all three zones and 22 localities apart from Nosada locality. A total population of 35 animals was estimated with the average population density of 2.29 animals/km2 in the study area.
    [Show full text]
  • 350Mw Athmuqam Hydropower Project
    ATHMUQAM Hydropower Project P r o f i l e 350 MW ATHMUQAM HYDROPOWER PROJECT PRIVATE POWER & INFRASTRUCTURE BOARD MINISTRY OF WATER & POWER GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN November 2015 Private Power & Infrastructure Board 1 ATHMUQAM Hydropower Project P r o f i l e PROJECT PROFILE Athmuqam Hydropower Project………………………………………..………… 3 1. Introduction ………………………………………….………… 3 2. Location & Access to Site ………….………….…………….. 4 3. General Terrain …………………………….…………………. 5 4. Climate & Hydrology .………………….……………………… 6 5. Salient Features ………………………………………………. 8 6. Location Map ………………………………………………….. 9 ABBREVIATIONS: GOP Government of Pakistan PPIB Private Power and Infrastructure Board MW Mega Watt GWh Giga Watt Hours masl Meters Above Sea Level mm Millimeter m meter ft feet km kilo Meter km2 Square kilometer m3/s Cubic Meter per Second oC Degree Celsius BOOT Build-Own-Operate-Transfer % Percentage Private Power & Infrastructure Board 2 ATHMUQAM Hydropower Project P r o f i l e 350 MW ATHMUQAM HYDROPOWER PROJECT 1. INTRODUCTION Pakistan is presently facing acute shortages of electricity while the Government of Pakistan (GoP) is targeting for substantial economic growth in the medium to long term. To combat the electricity shortage and to achieve high targets of growth all possible resources for power generation are to be used to sustain the economy. It is estimated that Pakistan would require around 2000-3000 MW annual addition for the next few years. The international geopolitical situation and unstable fuel oil and gas prices in the world have compelled Pakistan to look for additional resources for diversity and energy security of the country. Pakistan is a water-rich country and is endowed with hydropower potential of more than 60000 MW.
    [Show full text]
  • Pok Aug 2016.Cdr
    POK Volume 9 | Number 8 | August 2016 News Digest A MONTHLY NEWS DIGEST ON PAKISTAN OCCUPIED KASHMIR Compiled & Edited by Dr Priyanka Singh & Dr Yaqoob-ul Hassan Political Developments Tribunal Declares GB Council Election Illegal Bilawal Warns Govt Against Rigging Azad Kashmir Elections Five-year Gilgit, Xinjiang Partnership Proposed PLA, Pakistan Troops Launch First Joint Border Patrols Near PoK PML-N Grabs 31 Seats in AJK Elections Making Sense of PML-N Sweep in AJK Economic Developments AJK Power Tariff Raised by Over 120pc Per Unit ECC Approves Transfer of All Hydropower Projects to Provincial Governments International Developments China Not Interested in Including Diamer-Bhasha Dam in CPEC Australia, Gilgit-Baltistan's Joint Education Initiative Launched Pakistan Should Fulfil its Part of UN Resolutions Before Pointing Fingers at India, Say Kashmiri Leaders Other Developments Huge Ecological Imbalance Plagues Gilgit-Baltistan Region Urdu Media Chinese Investors Visit Sartaj Aziz Committee Report No. 1, Development Enclave, Rao Tula Ram Marg New Delhi-110 010 Jammu & Kashmir (Source: Based on the Survey of India Map, Govt of India 2000 ) In this Edition Whether or not the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will benefit Gilgit Baltistan in actual terms, has been an issue of continuing debate in the region and beyond. Ever since the economic corridor project was unveiled, there is a growing sense of uncertainty amongst the locals regarding their share in the development activity that is likely to ensue as a result of the massive connectivity and infrastructure project. The government of Pakistan has issued occasional assurances to the people of Gilgit Baltistan in this regard.
    [Show full text]
  • Operation Update Report Pakistan: Severe Winter
    Operation Update Report Pakistan: Severe Winter DREF n° MDRPK018 GLIDE n° CW-2020-000027-PAK Operation update n° 1: 8 May 2020 Timeframe covered by this update: 5 February - 20 April 2020 Operation start date: 5 February 2020 Operation timeframe: 6 months; End date: 31 July 2020 (revised) Funding requirements: CHF 315,292 N° of people being assisted: 7,096 people (1,000 households) Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners currently actively involved in the operation: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are actively involved in supporting the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) response for severe snowfall in Pakistan Administered Kashmir and Baluchistan. Other partner organizations actively involved in the operation: State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and District Disaster Management Unit (DDMU) are actively responding to the disaster. They have established field offices to coordinate response efforts on ground. SDMA has deployed ambulances, rescue vehicles and rescuers in the affected areas for clearing snow, restoration of roads, infrastructure and medical assistance to the injured. Summary of major revisions made to emergency plan of action: This operation update informs on the extension of the implementation timeframe for two months form 31 May until 31 July 2020, mainly due to the current COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown in the country. This will enable completion of activities such as below: • Distribution of non-food items (NFIs) to 150 Households (HH) in Neelum District; • Cash disbursement to 1,000 families in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Baluchistan; • Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM); • Lessons learnt workshop.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Document (PDF | 119.45
    Pakistan: Heavy rain, snowfall and avalanches Situation Report No. 03 (17 - 20 January 2020) This report is produced by OCHA Pakistan in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from [17 to 20 January 2020]. 105 96 1,295 People Died People Injured Houses Damaged Highlights • The number of people who died in the recent snow spell has increased to 105, with the highest reported in PAK (78) and Balochistan (20). NDMA has reported that the damage to houses has significantly increased from 200 to 1,295 mostly located in Balochistan (1,057) during the reporting period. While the total number of affected people is still not confirmed by the authorities. • A state of emergency was declared by Balochistan Government in eleven (11) districts - Quetta, Ziarat, Pishin, Kila Abdullah, Kachhi (Kolpur area), Mastung, Harnai, Kila Saifullah, Loralai, Kalat and Kech after a spell of heavy rain and snowfall across the province. According to Met department, another westerly wave of rain/snowfall is expected to enter Balochistan in the last week of January which could further aggravate the situation. The department is monitoring the situation and will issue weather alerts to the relevant authorities for timely action. • Rescue efforts are ongoing and major highways and link roads are being cleared in the affected provinces, however access to remote areas / villages is extremely limited. • Humanitarian agencies and N/PDMA have decided to carry out a rapid needs assessment to understand the needs and funding requirements across sectors in the affected areas while response is ongoing by the authorities, NGOs and the UN.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Impact Assessment Report
    National Highway Authority Pre–Feasibility Study and Feasibility Study of Shounter (Neelum Valley AJ&K) – Rattu (Astor Valley G&B) Road Tunnel Environmental Impact Assessment Report April 2017 Dohwa Engineering Co., Ltd. Republic of Korea in association with Prime Engineering & Testing Consultants (Pvt) Ltd. Pakistan Environmental Impact Assessment Report TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ 1 REVIEW OF IEE & EIA REGULATIONS, AZAD JAMMU & KASHMIR .............................................. 2 ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 2 PROJECT LOCATION ...................................................................................................................... 3 PROPOSED PROJECT ACTIVITIES.................................................................................................... 3 PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY ............................................................................................. 3 THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THIS EIA ARE TO: ............................................................................ 4 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................................... 4 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMICAL BASELINE STUDIES ................................................. 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT SEISMICITY .........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Azad Jummu and Kashmir (AJK) Snow Emergency Preliminarily Findings, Neelum District 24 January 2020
    Azad Jummu and Kashmir (AJK) Snow Emergency Preliminarily Findings, Neelum District 24 January 2020 Snow emergency, Neelum district Summary of Key Findings Affected Population Damages & Losses 30,370 12,410 68 74 182 436 Total affected Families are People People died Houses Livestock families of severely injured damaged deaths Neelum affected District Initial findings indicates that in Neelum district, three Union Councils (UCs) are severely affected. These include; Sharda, Guraiz, Dodhnial and Kel. The remaining seven UCs of Neelum, UC Bahadi of Haveli and UC Leepa of Jhelum Valley districts are also affected. 31,466 families of Neelum district are directly or indirectly affected, out of which 12, 410 families of the district living in three Union Councils are severely affected. The population of the area are dependent on livestock, agriculture, forest, seasonal labour and business at micro level for its subsistence. Maize is the major crop grown in the area, other main food crops include red beans and potatoes. During this season the unexpected early and heavy snowfall in mid-October 2019 has destroyed ready-to-harvest Maize crop and the resident were not able to properly preposition their food stocks and fodder for the livestock. This has resulted in critical shortage of food in the affected areas. Around 17 shops in the Valley are destroyed along with the food and non-food stocks inside. Due roads blockage some other markets in the valley are inaccessible, and also disconnected with other big markets within or/and outside the district. This has resulted in critical shortage of food availability in markets of the area.
    [Show full text]
  • Monitoring and Estimation of Glacial Resource of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques Ashraf, A.1,2, R
    Pakistan Journal of Meteorology Vol. 8, Issue 16: Jan 2012 Monitoring and Estimation of Glacial Resource of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques Ashraf, A.1,2, R. Naz2, R. Roohi2 Abstract The agriculture and hydropower development in Pakistan is heavily dependant on the snow and glacial resource of Upper Indus Basin. Baseline information of this resource is essential for future management of water resources and economic development of the area. The satellite remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques were utilized for developing base data of glacial resource of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The study revealed that there are over 224 glaciers containing ice-reserves of about 4.9 cubic km mainly in the Neelum valley district of AJK area. The glaciers predominantly belong to Cirque and Mountain types. Average thickness of the glaciers is about 24m. The glaciated area stretches over 109 sq km i.e. about 0.8% of the total Kashmir area. The coverage of glaciers and lakes is dominant over 4000-4500 m elevation range. There are altogether 76 glacial lakes that cover an aggregate area of about 545 ha in the study area. Majority of these lakes belong to Erosion and Cirque types. The image interpretation techniques of remote sensing helped in identification of glaciers and glacial lakes in the high mountainous terrain of the Kashmir area. In order to conserve glacial resources for future use, their regular monitoring is required for effective water resource management and development especially in context of probable increase in global warming in this part of the Himalayan region.
    [Show full text]
  • Pakistan: Severe Winter
    P a g e | 1 Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA) Pakistan: Severe winter DREF Operation n° MDRPK018 Glide n°: CW-2020-000027-PAK For DREF; Date of issue: 6 February 2020 Expected timeframe: 3 months Expected end date: 30 April 2020 Category allocated to the of the disaster or crisis: Orange EPoA Appeal / Funding Requirements: CHF 315,292 DREF allocated: CHF 315,292 Total number of people Around 1 million people Number of people to be 7,000 people affected: assisted: (1,000 households) Provinces affected: Pakistan Administered Provinces/Regions Pakistan Administered Kashmir and Baluchistan targeted: Kashmir and Baluchistan Host National Society presence (n° of volunteers, staff, branches): At least 150 staff at Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) National Headquarters (NHQ) in Islamabad, 30 at State Branch with two active districts with 25 active volunteers in district of Neelum Branch of Pakistan Administrated Kashmir and a pool of more than 350 active volunteers in the whole state branch, some of them already engaged in some of the projects in Neelum. Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners actively involved in the operation: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Danish Red Cross (DRC) and Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) are the Movement partners actively involved in supporting PRCS response. In addition, PRCS is maintaining close coordination with other in-country Movement partners including German Red Cross (GRC), Red Cross Society of China (RCSC), Norwegian Red Cross (NorCross) and UAE Red Crescent– who are likely to support the National Society’s response.
    [Show full text]
  • Discovery of Rock Art in Azad, Jammu and Kashmir
    69 VOL. 2, NO. 2, DECEMBER 2017: 69-88 DISCOVERY OF ROCK ART IN AZAD, JAMMU AND KASHMIR By M. ASHRAF KHAN* and SUNDUS ASLAM KHAN** Since the beginning of the human world, man has tried to prove his presence on the earth. Wherever he moved, he left his marks in different forms. Whether he lived in caves, in open spaces or in-built structures, he left evidence in art form, the earli- est of which are the cave paintings found in various regions of the world. These transformed into open spaces where man carved and painted images and writings on rock faces and boulders. Although Pakistan provided an early home to such art forms, they have been discovered in Kashmir for the first time and will be revealed in this paper. In the present survey, a great number of rock art sites were found and documented in detail. These rock art sites display the earliest communities who settled down or traveled through the region, highlighting their thoughts, beliefs and practices. The tentative chronology of these rock art sites ranges from Neolithic to Hindu periods, creating an interesting mosaic in the historic profile of Kashmir. Keywords: Rock art, Kashmir, Neolithic, inscriptions, shamanic rituals * M. ASHRAF KHAN is a professor at Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad ** SUNDUS ASLAM KHAN is a Ph.d Scholar at the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. 70 Acta Via Serica, Vol. 2, No. 2, December 2017 PROLOGUE For several thousand years, man used as canvas and drawing board rock surfaces, can- yon walls, rock shelters and boulders to produce drawings by the application of paint (rock painting) or the cutting away of rock surfaces (petroglyph).
    [Show full text]
  • Early Recovery Needs Assessment 1 Photo Credits
    Early Recovery Needs Assessment 1 Photo Credits: Punjab: Adeela Zubair, JPC, Office of the UN Resident Coordinator Balochistan: Javed Shawani, PPM Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Hira Hashmey, Programme Associate, UNDP Sindh: Hira Hashmey, Programme Associate, UNDP Gilgit Baltistan: Gilgit Baltistan Disaster Management Authority Team Pakistan Administered Kashmir: Shaista Hussain, Programme Officer, UNDP 2 Early Recovery Needs Assessment I. Acknowledgement III II. Executive Summary IV 1. Early Recovery Needs Assessment – Pakistan VI 2. Background VI 3. Rapid Needs Assessment VI 4. Early Recovery Needs Assessment Mission VI 5. Methodology VII III. Punjab VIII • Background 1 • Food 1 • Livelihood 4 • Governance 6 • Community Basic Infrastructure 9 • Social Cohesion 10 • Environment 12 IV. Balochistan 14 • Background 15 • Food 15 • Livelihood 16 • Governance 18 • Community Basic Infrastructure 22 • Social Cohesion 23 • Environment 24 V. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 28 • Background 29 • Food 30 • Livelihood 31 • Governance 35 • Community Basic Infrastructure 36 • Social Cohesion 38 • Environment 40 VI. Sindh 42 • Background 43 • Food 44 • Livelihood 44 Early Recovery Needs Assessment I • Governance 47 • Community Basic Infrastructure 49 • Social Cohesion 52 • Environment 52 VII. Gilgit – Baltistan 54 • Background 55 • Food 56 • Livelihood 56 • Governance 57 • Community Basic Infrastructure 58 • Social Cohesion 60 • Environment 60 VIII. Pakistan Administered Kashmir (Pak) 62 • Background 63 • Food 64 • Livelihood 67 • Governance 69 • Community Basic Infrastructure 71 • Social Cohesion 74 • Environment 75 II Early Recovery Needs Assessment Acknowledgment The Early Recovery Needs Assessment Floods 2010 was conducted in the holy month of Ramadan. The assessment was not possible without the help of Community Restoration cluster members including our UN sister agencies, NGOs, Early Recovery Coordination Cell and various projects/ units of UNDP.
    [Show full text]